This summer, I started a series focusing on the lives of black trans leaders. The second in this series of many to come, is Sasha Alexander, founder of Black Trans Media and the hashtag #BlackTransEverything.

As my body further masculinized, my sense of pride became muddied by the societal expectations of black masculinity, specifically the racist assumption that black men are full of rage and prone to violence. This became extremely evident in the new ways my body was policed by others.

When I landed in Los Angeles for the first-ever trans people of color town hall and the 13th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, I immediately heard that a trans woman of color, 32-year-old Cassidy Vickers, had been murdered.